# VesselFinder vs AIS Live

The clearest difference is review sentiment: AIS Live at 86% against VesselFinder's 28%. AIS Live also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and ads (none vs shown). VesselFinder's advantage is ratings volume (280 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

AIS Live holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VesselFinder has 280 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of VesselFinder's written reviews are positive against 86% of AIS Live's.

VesselFinder ships an update fortnightly, AIS Live monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VesselFinder | AIS Live |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (280 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vesselfinder/id918080862/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ais-live/id1108657025/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **280** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 28.2% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 47 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AstraPaging Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/438160792) | [Automotive Integration](https://appshunter.io/developer/1160120604) |

## What reviewers say

### VesselFinder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vesselfinder/id918080862)

Track ships and monitor maritime traffic globally in real-time. Access detailed vessel information, movement history, and predicted routes. Ideal for maritime professionals and enthusiasts alike.

**Highlights:** Real-time vessel tracking, Vessel movement history, Predicted routes and ETAs, Comprehensive vessel particulars, Port call details, My Fleet for favorite vessels, Weather overlays

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 💰 Free version provides basic functionality
- 🗺️ Clear map display with sea blue and land green
- 📊 Comprehensive vessel information available
- ⚓ Good for casual ship tracking and hobbyists

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⏱️ Severely outdated vessel position data (days old)
- 🐛 App freezes on startup/splash screen frequently
- 💸 Misleading free version with limited functionality
- 🔄 Inconsistent and unreliable data updates
- ❌ Search functionality requires paid version

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on splash screen and won't load
- Crashes when attempting to zoom on map
- Black screen display on certain devices
- App won't open or opens after long delays
- Crashes on iOS 11 and newer versions

**Requested features**

- Real-time GPS tracking instead of delayed AIS data
- Distance measurement tool restoration
- German language support
- Destination and departure information display
- Ability to remove ads without expensive pro version


### AIS Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ais-live/id1108657025)

Monitor the real-time location of your assets with this GPS tracking application. Access historical playback and modify asset information directly from your account.

**Highlights:** Real-time asset tracking, Historical playback, Asset information modification, GPS tracking account login, View asset location

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VesselFinder free?

VesselFinder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AIS Live free?

AIS Live is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, VesselFinder or AIS Live?

AIS Live is rated higher. VesselFinder averages 4.2 out of 5 from 280 ratings, while AIS Live averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do VesselFinder or AIS Live have ads?

VesselFinder shows ads; AIS Live does not.

### Which is updated more often, VesselFinder or AIS Live?

VesselFinder ships an update fortnightly, and AIS Live monthly. Most recently, VesselFinder was updated on November 1, 2026 and AIS Live on October 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*